"L. E. Modesitt - Corean Chronicles 4 - Alector's Choice" - читать интересную книгу автора (Modesitt L E)

They seated themselves across the table from each other. The
early-morning sun was not yet above the courtyard walls, but at least there
was no chill from the full-length glass panels between the pillars that
showed the fountain and the garden beyond.

Zistele appeared with a pot of steaming cider, pouring it into the
crystal mug set on the table beside his place.

"Thank you." He liked the taste of ale better, but the heat of the cider
was also welcome.

Zistele nodded, refilled Lystrana's mug, and stepped away. Sentya
slipped a platter in front of him, one with egg toast perfectly golden and
three slices of lean ham. Beside the platter on the left, she placed a small
bowl of freshly sliced peaches. Then she withdrew to leave the couple
alone.

Lystrana had finished but half of her breakfast while waiting for him,
and she took a sip of the hot cider.

Dainyl ate several bites, then sipped his own cider before asking, "What
does your day look like?"

"Long." Lystrana offered a rueful smile. "I was working on the accounts
for the new coal mines north of Faitel, but now the bursar in Tempre has
misplaced something like three thousand golds from the Lanachronan
main administrative account."

"Misplaced... or stolen?"
 "Misplaced, most likely. He reported it long before anyone might have
suspected, and the regional Alector of Justice has already determined he
isn't lying."

"Landers." Dainyl snorted. "You're lucky he's not an in-digen. They're
even less perceptive."

"That's not always true, and we're not supposed to call them that,"
Lystrana reminded him.

"It's better than calling them steers, the way some do, just because they
feed the lifeforce that we need."

"Careful, dearest. Even in the Views of the Highest, they're both called
steers. Kylana has pointed that out more than once."

"Even some alectors are steers in the way they think. The Views of the
Highest suggests that, too," Dainyl pointed out.

"Kylana--and your marshal--would rather avoid thinking about that.